Antiskid attachment for shoes



Dec. 3, 1935. D, DRISCQLL 2,022,655

ANTISKID ATTACHMENT FOR snons Filed Aug. 15, 1934 I/1.51m 7 mm Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 13 Claims.

'This invention relates to anti-skid attachments for shoes of that generalclass shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent issued to me on the th day of June, 1934, under No. 1,961,555 5' and of which the present invention is an improvement.

The object of the invention is generally to improve and increase the efficiency of the device by providing means for positively locking the anti-skidelement or cleat on the tread surface of a shoe sole, thereby effectually to prevent accidental displacement thereof under all conditions of service.

A further object of the invention is to provide one of the toggle links or its connecting pin, at one end of the cleat, with a headed pin adapted to enter a socket in the toe portion of a shoe sole and to provide the opposite end of the cleat with a locking lever so connected therewith that when the lever is swung to operative position a similar headed pin carried thereby, or

by the adjacent connecting pin, will enter a socket in the heel portion of the shoe sole and A still further object is to so construct the locking lever that when it is in locked position said lever will be housed between the shoe 3.; sole and the adjacent toggle link and conform to the shape of the latter so as not to present any protruding part or parts which might have a tendency to catch on a surface projection in the act of walking or making a golf stroke and accidentally release said lever.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which similar nu-= merals indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing:

45 Figure 1 is a top plan view of an anti-skid attachment or cleat constructed in accordance with the present' invention, showing the same in operative position on the tread surface of a shoe, the operating lever befng shown in dotted lines .31; in eleased position.

Figure 2 is'a side elevation, partly in section. Figure 3 is an enlarged detail transverse sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

I Figure 4 is a perspective view of the device 55 detached.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view, partly inelevation, showing one of the toggle link connecting pins formed with an enlarged head for en- 5 gagement with a socket in a shoe sole.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on'the line "I--| of Figure 6.

The anti-skid attachment or cleat forming the subject-matter of the present invention, 10

while capable of application to ski shoes or any yle or type of footwear to present a roughened surface to the ground and prevent slipping, is

particularly designed for use in connection with golf shoes and by way of illustration is shown 15- in connection with such a shoe in which 5 des ignates the upper, 6 the inner sole, 1 the outer sole, and 8 the heel which may be formed of rubber or leather, as desired.

The cleat or attachment comprises a tread 20 member in the form of a toggle lever, the links 9 of which are, relatively thin and flexible and pivotally connected at l0 so as to allow the tread member to conform to the tread surface of the sole of a shoe and permit flexing of said member in the act of walking or executing different golf strokes. The pins iii, if desired, may be provided with terminal points H which act as antiskid devices, and, owing to the pivotal connections between the links 9, said links will permit 3 slight expansion and contraction of the tread member and also permit said member to be lengthened or shortened to fit any size of shoe. One of the links 9 at the forward or toe portion of the shoe is formed with an extension l2 terminating in an integral upstanding headed pin 3 preferably of T-shape formation and adapted to enter a socket l4 formed in the adjacent tread surface of the sole F, as best shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. Covering the socket l4 and preferably countersunk in the outer surface of the sole 1, is an attaching plate it having a preferably substantial elliptical slot ll formed therein with its major axis extending longitudinally of the shoe sole so that by inserting the. head it within the slot H and then giving the tread member a half turn, the opposite ends of the head it will ride under and bear against the plate l5 so as to securely hold the toe portion of the tread member in position on the shoe sole. One of the links 9 at the rear or heel portion -of the tread member is extended longitudinally beyond the adjacent pin H) to form a hat extension 3 on which is pivotally. mounted at N one end of a locking lever 29.

Formed in the free end or handle portion of the locking lever 20 is an opening 2| adapted to receive the enlarged or up-set head 22 of the adjacent pivot pin II] when the lever is moved to locked or operative position, said lever being also provided at one edge thereof with a depending stop lug 23 which bears against the edge of the adjacent link when-the lever is closed and also acts as a finger piece to assist in releasing the free end of the lever from the head 22 when it is desired to move the lever to open or inoperative position. That portion of the handle of the lever opposite the lug 23 is preferably inclined or beveled at 24 so as to permit it to ride freely over the head of the pin I0, and it will here be noted that, owing to the inherent resiliency of the metal constituting the locking lever 20 when the lever is moved to closed position, the perforated end of the lever will snap over and yieldably engage the head 22 so as to effectually prevent accidental opening movement of the lever. Secured to, or formed integral with the pivoted end of the lever 20, is a headed pin 25 also preferably of T-shape formation and this headed pin 25 coacts with a socket 26 formed in the tread surface of the sole near the instep or heel portion thereof and similar in construction to the socket I 4 and plate l5 previously referred In applying the anti-skid attachment or cleat to a shoe sole, the toe end of the tread member is positioned at substantially right angles to the shoe sole so as to permit the head l3 to enter the slot [4 after which the tread member is swung'laterally to a position at the medial 1ongitudinal line of the shoe sole 1. The locking lever 20 is then swung outwardly until the headed pin 25 thereof is in alinement with the major axis of the slot in the plate of the socket 26 after which the lever 20 is swung in the direction of the body of the tread member. As the locking lever is swung to closed position the inclined or beveled face of the lever 24 will ride over the head 22 and cause the perforated end of the lever to snap over said head and the stop lug 23 to engage the edge of the adjacent link. As the lever is swung to closed position the headed pin 25 thereof will be moved to a position at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the slot in the socket 26 so that the tread member will be positively and securely locked in position on the tread surface at the instep or heel portion of the shoe and in which position it will remain until the lever is manually released. In order to detach the tread member, it is merely necessary to press laterally on the lug 23 which will disengage the headed pin 22 from the opening 2| when the lever may be swung to open position and permit ready removal of the headed pin 25 of the lever from the socket 26. By then swinging the tread member laterally to either side of the shoe sole, the headed pin l3 may be removed from the toe portion of the shoe sole.

It will here be noted that the shape of the locking lever 20 is such that when said locking lever is swung to closed position it will be housed between the sole of the shoe and the adjacent toggle link and conform to the shape of the latter so as not to present any protruding parts which would have a tendency to catch on a surface obstruction in the act of walking or making different golf strokes and thus accidentally release the lever and cause the attachment to become disengaged from the shoe sole.

If desired, instead of forming the headed pins l3 and 25 on the toggle link and locking lever, respectively, said headed pins may be secured to or formed integral with the terminal pivot pins of the toggle links and in Figure 6 of the drawing I have illustrated a construction capable of performing this result. When the headed pins are carried by the pivot pins of the toggle levers or by the pivot pin of the locking lever and the forward toggle link, respectively, I provide the selected pin orpins 26' with a square or angular portion 2! which fits within a corresponding angular shaped recess 28 formed in the locking lever 20 so as to cause the pin to turn therewith, said pin being extended beyond the angular portion 21 to form a reduced neck terminating in a substantially elliptical shaped head 30 adapted to enter either the socket ll or 26. With this construction when the lever 20 is moved to closed or operative position, the angular walls of the opening in the lever will engage and rotate the angular portion 21 of the pin, thereby rotating the pin-and, in turn, moving the elliptical head 30 of said pin transversely of the socket 26 and thereby securely clamping the tread member in position on a shoe sole. The headed pin construction shown in Figure 6 of the drawing may be used at either the toe or heel portion of the tread member, or both, and when so used will function in the same manner as the headed pins I3 and I5 to positively clamp the attachment in position on a shoe.

While it is preferred that the lower ends of the pivot pins l0 constitute anti-skid devices, it will, of course, be understood that, if desired, any

' other form of anti-skid devices may be employed and said anti-skid devices instead of being'positioned at the pivots of the toggle links may be located at any other desirable position on the tread surface of the attachment.

A device constructed in accordance with the present invention does not have to be made in rights and lefts to accommodate the curvature of a shoe sole and, owing to the fact that the toggle link construction of the tread surface permits elongation and contraction thereof, it follows that the device may be used on any size shoe and when in position thereon cannot be removed until manually released.

It will further be noted that the anti-skid attachments or cleats are reversible; that is to say, they can be positioned on the shoe-sole with the locking lever disposed either at the toe or heel portion thereof, and while I have shown the head receiving slots of the sockets extending longitudinally of the shoe sole, said slots can extend transversely of the-shoe sole if desired, in which event the heads of the pins on the terminal link and locking lever will be disposed normally in the longitudinal plane of the shoe sole.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An anti-skid attachment for shoes comprising a tread member formed of pivotally connected links, means at one end of the tread member for positive locking engagement with an attaching socket in a shoe sole, a locking device pivotally connected with the opposite end of the tread member, and-means for actuating said device to simultaneously lock one end of the tread member and hold the other end thereof in locked position.

2. An anti-skid attachment for shoes comprising a resilient longitudinally extensible tread member formed of pivotally connected toggle links, anti-skid devices carried by the toggle links, means at one end of the tread member for positive interlocking engagement with an attaching socket in a shoe sole, a lever pivotally mounted on the opposite end of the tread member, and locking means actuated by said lever and adapted to enter an attaching socket in the shoe sole for simultaneously clamping both ends of the tread member inlocked position on said shoe sole when the lever is swung to,operative position.

3. An anti-skid attachment for shoes comprising a tread member formed of pivotally connected toggle links, means at one end of the tread memher for positive interlocking engagement with an attaching socket in 'the toe portion of a shoe sole. anti-skid devices carried by the tread member, a locking lever pivotally mounted on the opposite end of the tread member; and a headed pin carried by the pivoted end of the leverand adapted to enter an attaching socket in the rear portion of the shoe sole, and, when the lever is.

swung to closed position, adapted to positively hold said headed pin and first-mentioned engaging means in locking engagement with their respective sockets.

4. An anti-skid attachment for shoes comprising a longitudinally expansible tread member, anti-skid devices carried by the tread member, means at one end of the tread member for positive interlocking engagement with the toe portion of the tread surface of a'shoe sole, a locking lever pivotally mounted on the other end of the tread member, and means adapted to engage said shoe sole and actuated by said lever for holding both engaging means in locked position on the tread surface of the shoe sole.

5. An anti-skid attachment for shoes comprising a resilient tread member formed of pivotally connected links, one of the links at the toe portion of the tread member being provided with a headed pin for positive interlocking engagement with an attaching socket in the toe portion of a shoe sole, a locking lever pivotally mounted on the rear end of. the tread member and provided witha headed pin adapted to engage an attaching socket in the heel portion of the shoe sole, and'resilient means for holding the lever in locked position, said lever serving to rotate the pin at the rear end of the tread member and positively clamp both pinsin engagement with their respective sockets.

6. An anti-skid attachment for shoes comprising a tread member formed of pivotally connected toggle links, anti-skid devices carried by the tread member, means disposed at one end of the tread member for engagement with an attaching socket in the toe portion of a shoe sole, one of the links at the other end of the tread member being formed with a lateral extension, a locking lever pivotally mounted on said extension and provided with a headed pin adapted to enter an attaching socket in the rear portion of said shoe sole, and a stop lug depending from one side of the-free end of the locking lever and adapted to bear against the adjacent link when the lever is swung to operative position.

7. An anti-skid attachment for shoes comprising a tread member formed of pivotally connected toggle links, one of the pivots of said links being formed with a head, means at one end of the tread member for engagement with an attaching v socket, a locking lever pivotally mounted on the ing a tread member formed of pivotally connected said shoe sole, there being an opening formed in the free end of the lever and adapted to receive the head of said pin for holding the lever in locked position.

8. An anti-skid attachment for shoes compris- 5 ing a tread member formed of pivotally connected toggle links, one of which is provided with an angular extension, means at one end of the tread member for engagement with an attaching 10 extension of said link and having a headed pin adapted to engage in another attaching socket, said locking lever when in closed position conforming to the shape of the link having the angulla-r extension and being disposed substantially parallel with and housed thereby.

9. An anti-skid attachment for shoes comprising a flexible tread member formed of pivotally connected toggle links, the pivots of said togglelinks forming tractiomspurs, means at one end '20 of the tread member for detachable engagement with an attaching socket of a shoe sole, one of the links at the other end of the tread member being formed with an angular extension, a resilient locking lever pivotally mounted on said extension and provided with a headed pin adapted. to engage another attaching socket in the shoe sole, the free end of said lever being provided with an opening adapted to fit over the adjacent pivot pin or the toggle links for holding the lever in operative position and having a lug depending from one side thereof adapted to bear against the adjacent edge of the link provided with the extension, said lever when moved to closed position being housed by and conforming to the shape of the link having the extension.

10. The combination with a shoe having spaced sockets formed in the tread surface of the sole thereof and disposed near the toe and instep portions, said sockets being provided with openings 40 having their major axes disposed in the longitudinal plane of the shoe sole, a flexible tread member detachably secured to the tread surface of the shoe and formed of pivotally connected links,

a headed pin formed on one of the links and adapted to engage the socket in the toe portion of the shoe sole, 2. locking lever pivotally mounted on one of the links at the other end of the tread member and provided with a headed pin adapted to enter the socket in the instep portion of the shoe sole, traction devices carried. by the tread member, and means for holding the locking lever in closed position. 11. An anti-skid attachment for shoes compristog'gle' linksjlthe toe portion of the tread memher being provided with an enlarged head adapted to enter an attaching socket in the sole of a shoe and one of the links at the other end of the tread member being provided with an enlarged I head adapted to enter an attaching socket in the rear portion of said sole, and a locking lever mounted on the heel portion of the tread member for turning the last-mentioned enlarged head and locking both heads within their respective sockets.

12. An anti-skid'attachment for shoes comprising a tread member formed of pivotally connected toggle links, the pivot pin of adjacent links at the toe portion of the tread member being provided with an enlarged head adapted to enter an attaching socket in the sole of a shoe and the pivot pin connecting adjacent links at the other end of the tread member being provided with an enlarged head adapted to enter an attaching socket in the rear portion of said sole, and means for turning the last-mentioned enlarged head and locking both heads within their respective sockets.

13. An anti-skid attachment for shoes comprising a tread member formed of pivotally connected links, a headed pin at one end of the tread member for locking engagement with an attaching pin and holding the other headed pin in locked 5 position.

HUGH D. DRISCOLL. [1..s.1 

